During the Covid-19 Pandemic we have had to adjust the way we live our lives in an attempt to protect the maximum amount of lives. One of the measures has been social distancing, which in practical terms has meant keeping 2m away from people that do not live with you in your household. This physical distancing that is obviously for the common good has also had the negative consequences of not being able to have physical contact with people outside of your household. As the Lockdown measures started to ease in England to enable a photoshoot to take place, I wanted to create some images that reflect this period of history. Here are some of the images:-
Models: Matt Kenny and Effy (Named Models) Photographer Tim Copsey
Models: Matt Kenny and Effy (Named Models) Photographer Tim Copsey
Models: Matt Kenny and Effy (Named Models) Photographer Tim Copsey
Throughout the Covid-19 Pandemic I have continued to create photographic images but my normal method of being in the same space as the subject had to change to being remotely connected via the internet. There are a number of ways to achieve a virtual/remote photoshoot and I will describe here the main approach I have adopted.
The fundamentals of a remote shoot are the same as are required for a real world photoshoot:- You need a photographer and a willing subject. The photographer needs to know how to compose an image, be able to communicate their wishes, listen to and act on the ideas of the subject, understand how light works. The main difference to a real world photoshoot in the method I use is that an app (e.g. Zoom/Facetime) and the subject’s mobile phone is used instead of a camera (other methods are sometimes available where the subject has a dslr camera and can allow the photographer to remotely adjust settings). To be clear this is not a selfie as the photographer presses the virtual shutter when they want to capture the image, with my method this means taking a screengrab, so the decision of what moment to capture remains with the photographer as it would in a real world shoot. There are many similarities to a real world photoshoot but some things have become very evident to me after conducting so many of these shoots: – A strong stable internet connection is crucial, the photographer needs to be prepared to give lots and lots of polite instructions e.g. where to ask the model to position the phone/camera for each set of shots,as well as direction for poses etc, so it is crucial that both parties know what is involved before participating.
The pandemic has been a nightmare for the creative community as it has been for so many people but remote shooting has helped my creative well being to stay healthy. In addition an enormous helping of fun has been had during the shoots which has been very helpful in these difficult times.
Will I continue with Remote/Virtual shoots when I can return to conventional shooting? Yes, I would love continue in addition to conventional shoots.
Cassiane Barbosa in Brazil and Photographer Tim Copsey in the UK
May 12th has been designated as International Awareness Day for Chronic Immunological and Neurological Diseases (CIND) since 1992. The CIND illnesses include Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Fibromyalgia (FM), Gulf War Syndrome (GWS) and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS).
Agnieszka Idelt approached me asking if I could help her raise awareness of the invisible illnesses and in particular Fibromyalgia. Of course I am delighted to have an opportunity to put my photography skills to good use for a great cause. We intend to produce a series of different images with different people to spread the message. We have made a start and look out for more interesting images to come over time.
Hand of Agnieszka Idelt as part of her campaign to raise awareness of invisible illness – Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Photography by Tim Copsey
